The Metropolitan | Vol. 7 | No. 5

Volume 7; No. 5

August 2020

The Metropolitan AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION

30 years later

Ferris mimics Irwin’s magic!

The Metropolitan

August 2020

INSIDE

10

18

3. Rules/Numbers 4. Curt’s Corner 6. Glennon rallies 8. Bogeyman 10. Fabulous Ferris

16

6

14. Amateur Series 16. Supe’s On 18. Irwin 30 years later 22. Allen bounces back 24. Fond Farewell

14 22 2

The Metropolitan

August 2020

By The Numbers

74 575

The number of players on the PGA Tour averaging 300 yards or more in diving distance this season. At 299.7, Jason Day just misses the cut.

The cost in dollars of a round of golf at Pebble Beach Golf Links, site of the 2019 U.S. Open and 2018 U.S. Amateur. The basic fee will include a $45 cart fee surcharge for players who want to ride. Caddies, which aren’t required, cost an additional $95 per bag for a double loop or $145 for a single bag (plus tips) for guests or non-guests alike.

Which is True?

A. Prior to competing in the Publinx Open, Craig “The Count” Hardcastle plays three practice strokes from the fairway of a hole that is on the competition course.

Unbenownst to “The Count”, he has committed the first breach of Rule 5.2 and incurs a penalty of two strokes on the first hole. The circumstances hurt his chances of capturing the championship.

The number of hole-outs achieved by champion Chris Ferris while winning the Metropolitan Amateur. Ferris holed out from the fairway twice during the championship. He also drained two shots from off the green, including a key chip on No. 17 that kept his comeback hopes alive. Ferris shot a final-round 66 to capture the title. .

The number of months it has been since Jordan Spieth last won a PGA Tour event. On July 23, 2017, Spieth captured the British Open, his third major championship win and 11th PGA Tour title at the age of 23. He has not won in 69 tournaments starts since and, oddly enough, was No. 69 in official rankings as August came to a close.

4

B. Prior to competing in the Metropolitan Open, Skip Berkmeyer lossens up by hitting an approach shot from the fairway to one of the putting greens on the competition course. Berkmeyer then rolls the ball on the putting green to the hole to test the surface.

Berkmeyer has incurred two separate breaches of Rule 5.2 and swallows a total of four penalty strokes on the first hole. The circumstances make it extremely challenging for him to win the championship.

37

C. Prior to competing in Amateur Series 2 at Persimmon Woods, the old Bogeyman plays two chip shots to the 18th green which is near the clubhouse.

For his callous actions, the Bogeyman is disqualified for the two breaches of Rule 5.2. The circumstances have zero impact on his chances of winning the tournament, which were non-existant from the beginning.

109

The distance in feet that two putts traveled on the 18th green at Olympia Fields on Aug. 30 to make for a dramatic finish to the BMW Championship. The first putt belonged to Dustin Johnson and traveled 43 feet before falling for birdie, allowing him to force a playoff with Jon Rahm. The second putt belonged to Rahm and traveled 66 feet for birdie, allowing him to win the playoff with Johnson.

Answer Circumstance “C” is true - in every way. See Rule 5.2 for clarification. And if you’ve seen the Bogeyman play, the rest needs no further explanation.

3

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Curt’s Corner

MAGA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Curt Rohe - Executive Director

Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org 2020 P.J. Boatwright Interns

METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Amateur Championship Match Play Championship Open Championship Women’s Amateur Championship Junior Amateur Championship Senior Amateur Championship Metropolitan Cup Matches Four-Ball Championship Mid-America Junior Cup

USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS US Open (Local and Sectional) US Senior Open US Amateur US Mid-Amateur US Girls’ Junior Amateur US Women’s Mid-Amateur US Junior Amateur US Senior Amateur US Senior Women’s Amateur US Women’s Open US Amateur Four-Ball US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Scott Thomas, Chairman Dustin Ashby Tom Barry Skip Berkmeyer Chris Kovach Ryan Eckelcamp Tom Portner Curt Rohe

2020 P.J. BOATWRIGHT INTERNS Chase Phillps Jacob Skudlarczyk Chase Holland

Greetings Members, I cannot help but start by saying what an incredible two week stretch we had in this past month with the 30th Amateur Championship and 28th Women’s Amateur! Both championships had unbelievable finishes with golfers coming back from significant deficits to capture the titles.

The Chris Kovach and Chris Ferris battle at Meadowbrook in the final round was one of the most memorable final rounds in my 23 championships I have been involved with! First, thank you to Meadowbrook CC for hosting. If there was a final round I wish I had a camera crew out to capture, this was the one. Congratulations to Chris Ferris on becoming the 30th Amateur champion and adding your name to the list of greats on the Jim Tom Blair Trophy!

Then, just 3 days later, Kathy Glennon stamped her name on the Jayne M. Watson Trophy. She came back from 7 shots behind the Round 1 leader to force a playoff which she won in 2 holes. Her story of competing in over 20 Women’s Amateur Championships to finally win the title was also remarkable. Congratulations Kathy!

We capped off the month of August with the Senior Amateur Championship where Buddy Allen took his second Senior title.

He played remarkable over two days at St. Clair Country Club with an 8-under par total, congratulations Buddy!

I feel like we just started, which we did not until June, but here we are winding down another season. I want to say thank you to two of our PJ Boatwright Interns who went back to school recently, Chase Holland and Jacob Skudlarczyk. Both made great contributions to the association this summer and were a tremendous asset to this crazy summer. All the best to them as they wrap up their college studies.

Finally, I just want to say thank you to all the clubs who have hosted MAGA championships and events this summer. It has been certainly interesting navigating the COVID-19 pandemic from policies and procedures. I always say we have the best Member Clubs in the country and all those who contributed to 2020 did so with the same vigor as in years past.

Thank you and you know I’ll be hitting you up soon as we look ahead to 2021. Keep golfing and thank you for taking a little time to read The Metropolitan!

THE METROPOLITAN EDITOR Dan O’Neill

4

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Player of the year standings Men

Senior

1. Skip Berkmeyer 1,435 2. Ryan Sullivan 1,092.5 3. Max Kreikemeier 1,091.7 4. Ryan Eckelkamp 1,052.2 5. Chris Ferris 945 6. Crimson Callahan 937.5 7. Chris Kovach 865 8. Chad Niezing 828.3 9. Joe Migdal 689.2 10. Brad Carpenter 600

1. Buddy Allen 2. Joseph Malench 3. Tom Portner 4. David Pfeil 5 . Brian Hall 6. David Pfeil 7. Mike Quesenberry 8. David Bremer 9. Tom Barry 10. Brian Lovett

Old Hickory Golf Club Thomas O. Sobbe Cup Final Sept. 25, 2020

5

965 650 525 495 450 495 427.5 415 380 360

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Patient Glennon perseveres t

OPEN

Kathy Glennon 78-73-151 (p) McKinnon Montgromery 71-80-151 Momo Kikuchi 76-78-154

NET

Ellie Johns

Peggy Shamleffer 71-73-143 Simay Souvannarath 79-74-153 Kim Schoenbourn 79-75-154

6

The Metropolitan

August 2020

to capture Watson Trophy John Quincy Adams once said, “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” The sixth president of the United States, Adams made that observation sometime in the early 1800s.

And on Aug. 12, 2020, Kathy Glennon provided validation. Twenty-two years and 38 holes after winning a flighted portion of the MAGA Women’s Amateur, Glennon captured the genuine article, putting her name on the Jayne M. Watson Trophy in the 28th playing of the Women’s Amateur.

“Jayne has done so much for me, for all of women’s golf in this area,” Glennon said afterward. “I am beyond thrilled to have my name go on her trophy with these other ladies.”

Patience paid off and Glennon persevered by beating 2017 Women’s Amateur champion, McKinnon Montgomery, in a two-hole playoff at Greenbriar Hills Country Club.

Glennon was seven shots behind the leader when the final round began. But her 2-over 73 caught Montgomery, who struggled with an 80 after shooting an opening-round 71 the only round at par or better in the primary championship.

In the Net Championship, Peggy Shamleffer had rounds of 70-73 to finish 1-over and capture the A-Flight crown.

Simay Souvannarath finished second.

son

7

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Return of Tower Tee will The Bogeyman Dan O’Neill - Editor Perhaps you’ve seen the dozing, scraping and shapeshifting action along Heege Rd. Perhaps you noticed the sign in the ground: “Tower Tee.” That’s right, she’s back. The plans to “pave paradise” and put up a residential development never got off the ground.

Rather, they became a rezoning and political headache for McBride Homes and J.H. Berra Construction, which agreed to purchase the property from Tegna, Inc. in 2017.

If you recall, proprietor Steve Lotz, whose family operated the Tower Tee facility for 55 years, shuddered the place and auctioned off its increments in July, 2018. As the lot sat vacant and the weeds grew longer, its residential future seemed inevitable.

But, amid preservation protests and political resistance, McBride/Berra stepped aside and sold the treasured tract to a couple of South County natives - Steve Walkenbach and Mike Shamia.

The friends formerly worked together in the financial world of Scottrade, and Tower Tee offered an intriguing opportunity to reconnect in a dynamic way.

“We had been searching for a business venture together,” Shamia explained. “Steve heard about the community’s desire to “Save Tower Tee” and felt the passion behind the effort. He thought that seemed like the right thing to do for the community.

“Growing up in Affton, he had many fond memories of the original Tower Tee, as did I. We both agreed it was a great way to give back to the community, by recreating an updated version of what had provided us both so many great childhood family memories.”

Keep in mind, before the Arch (opened in 1965), before the Beatles (played Busch Stadium ’66) and before Brock for Broglio (1964) there was Tower Tee. The golf and recreational facility in Affton opened in 1963 and over the years, became much more than a “driving range.”

It was the place where kids swung their first golf club

8

and hit their first batting cage fastball. It was where this scribe made his first - and still only - hole in one - jarred through Phil the Gorilla’s legs.

“I have a lot of good memories of going there,” said John Daniels, USGA Central Region agronomist. Now he has more.

The USGA and Daniels have been brought in as turf consultants for the project. Daniels is now based in Dallas, but he grew up in St. Louis and still has family here. “It’s fun to be involved,” he added. “It’s a special place. I think everybody involved feels that way.”

The new Tower Tee, like its predecessor will be multifaceted. The grounds will include an expansive new clubhouse, able to accommodate corporate gatherings and parties. The driving range will feature two tiers, complimented by indoor training space, gameimprovement technology and top-notch instruction.

Batting cages and mini-golf will be back - of course - as will the family atmosphere. Embellishments like outdoor patios, a playground and bocce ball also will be available.

St. Louis based golf architect Art Schaupeter is designing a new Par 3 course and short-game area. The old Tower Tee bunched 18 holes into its 27-acre footprint. But Schaupeter is starting from scratch with nine holes that will cover 920 yards, not unlike the Cradle Short Course at revered Pinehurst Resort.

And for added fun, the nine greens will imitate famous golf holes from around the globe. The course also will accommodate footgolf, which combines soccer skills with golf. It’s a nice touch - to coin a soccer phrase - with a new St. Louis MLS entry to begin play in 2023.

“It will appeal to the most skilled golfer, the casual player, and those brand new to the game … There will be no intimidation factor at Tower Tee,” Shamia said. “With footgolf, batting cages, bocce, mini golf and playground for the kids, we see the entire community getting involved and finding something they enjoy.

“We are extremely proud of what we are building - and expect the entire community will be proud as well. It’s our hope they enjoy it for decades to come, as we did!”

Interruptions created by the Covid-19 pandemic slowed the pace of the project. But construction is under way and the unveiling is set for spring of 2021. When that day arrives, it will be like seeing an old friend, with a new lease on life.

The Metropolitan

August 2020

l be site for sore swings

Construction is proceeding at Tower Tee, whch is on schedule to re-open next spring. The facility closed in July, 2018 after 55 years of operation at 6727 Heege Rd. It will return with a nine hole golf course, practice area, batting cages, miniature golf and other amenities.

9

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Ferris rides Route 66 to stu

By Dan O’Neill You couldn’t help but feel a bit for Chris Kovach. Greg Norman would have recognized his pain, Arnold Palmer might have commiserated.

After all, Norman couldn’t hold a six-shot lead on the final day of the 1996 Masters. Palmer had a seven-shot advantage with nine holes to play at the 1966 U.S. Open, and finished second. The sometimes maddening truth is, golf will do that to you. One moment you’re on top of the world, the next you’re in the abyss.

This fact was not lost on Kovach, who was marvelous in opening an eight-shot lead going into the final round of the Metropolitan Amateur at Meadowbrook Country Club.

But on Saturday, Aug. 8, Kovach watched it melt away, his lead and the championship. And when it was over, even in his disappointment, he understood the bottom line: “That’s golf.”

You couldn’t help but feel for him … unless you were Chris Ferris.

“No,” Ferris said, after tapping in for a championshipclinching par on the final hole of the 54-hole championship.

It was the first time Ferris had the lead and, frankly, the

10

only time it mattered.

“I mean I’ve had my share of leads and had that happen,” Ferris added. “The way I look at it, nobody’s leading until the 54 holes are over. I was just focused on me beating the golf course. I mean, I never thought about (Kovach). That’s golf. It can be a lonely game. You don’t win a lot, so when you do, you have to enjoy it.”

You couldn’t blame Ferris. And if you felt empathy for Kovach, you could only marvel at Ferris.

Thirty years ago, Hale Irwin came from eight shots back on the final day of the 1990 U.S. Open and won the championship in a playoff - becoming the oldest winner (45) in U.S. Open history.

Ferris knew it could be done, but only if he ignored everything else and focused on his own game.

As a soccer fan, Ferris has adopted the words of Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp. “He said. ‘You got to go from doubter to believer at some point,’ ” Ferris said.

In the final round at Meadowbrook, he did just that.

Kovach didn’t hold his big lead, but it would be wrong to suggest he gave it away. His 4-over-par 76 final round was not his best, but not a score that normally would yield eight

The Metropolitan

August 2020

unning Amateur victory shots. He finished 4-under par for the championship, good enough to win a lot of Metropolitan Amateurs.

It just wasn’t good enough to win this one, not when the person in pursuit shoots a final-round 66 and finishes 6 under.

“At the end of the day,” Kovach added, “if someone would have told me I was 1-over on the day with two to play, I would have thought I had a four or five-shot lead. But he played awesome, He came out and earned it.”

In the final pairing, Ferris didn’t chase Kovach, he hunted him down. Ferris’ front nine featured six birdies, including four in succession from Nos. 5 through 8. By the time the players turned, it was a horse race, with only a two-shot gap.

When Kovach birdied the 14th, the lead was three with four holes to play and the predictabe outcome seemed restored.

But Ferris responded by birdying the par-5 15th, making the margin two with three to play.

Both player missed the par-3 green at No. 17. But while Kovach two-putted for bogey, Ferris took a drop and then holed his chip for an improbable birdie. The two went to 18 knotted. It was the second chip-in of the tournament for

Ferris, who also holed out from the fairway twice.

At the 18th, both players missed the fairway. But Kovach’s miss was worse, leaving him stymied behind a tree, forcing him to go lateral with a punch-out. Ferris was able to advance from a bunker and land his second just shy of the green.

While Kovach could not recover, suffering a double bogey, Ferris chipped up next to the hole. He tapped in for par - a two-shot win secured, a remarkable comeback complete.

“To win a 54-hole tournament, that feels really good,” said the returning senior at University of Missouri-St. Louis.

“Because I’ve been close in college but I always seem to make some mistakes along the way. I made some mistakes on the first two days, but today not so many.

“The thing that was key all week is I kept my emotions in check. I was really calm, nothing seemed to phase me a whole lot.”

The victory also completed a dynamic double for Ferris.

Twice previously he won the Metropolitan Junior Amateur.

“This is the biggest win of my career,” Ferris said. “It feels pretty good.”

11

30th Metropolitan Amateur Aug. 6-8, Meadowbrook Country Club

1 Chris Ferris -6 70 74 66 2 Chris Kovach -4 69 67 76 3 Frankie Thomas 1 75 72 70 T4 Brad Carpenter 2 75 71 72 T4 Chad Niezing 2 71 74 73 T6 Max Kreikemeier 4 77 76 67 T6 Shawn Jasper 4 73 75 72 T6 R. Berkmeyer 4 74 71 75 T9 Alex Locke 5 76 73 72 T9 Crimson Callahan 5 76 72 73 T11 Drew Pranger 6 70 79 73 T11 Max Floyd 6 74 73 75 T11 Sam Migdal 6 71 75 76 T14 Michael Ehlers 8 73 80 71 T14 Bryan Bohme 8 78 75 71 T16 W. Postlethwaite 9 77 78 70 T16 Drew Lilly 9 77 76 72 T16 Steven Shuert 9 78 75 72 T16 Ryan Sullivan 9 75 77 73 T16 Patrick Britt 9 74 78 73 21 Nate McCutcheon 10 82 70 74 T22 Zach Unnerstall 11 76 77 74 T22 Jacob Erickson 11 75 78 74 T22 Tom Vogt

11 78 74 75 T25 Phil Caravia 12 75 77 76 T25 Jason Landry 12 76 75 77 T25 Zach Williams 12 75 71 82 T25 Max Harres 12 72 74 82

210 212 217 218 218 220 220 220 221 221 222 222 222 224 224 225 225 225 225 225 226 227 227 227 228 228 228 228

The Metropolitan

Amateur Ser August 2020

OPEN 1. S. Rommerskirchen 400 2. Colin Stolze 370 3. Colin Hall 270 4. Alex Stojanavic 260 5. Eric Foleman 230 5. Eric Fogleman 180

SENIOR OPEN

1. David Rudd 390 2. Mike Quesenberry 370 3. S. Fitzgerald 310 4. Terry Souchek 295 5. Steven McFadden 170

OPE

1. John D 2. Kyle F 3. Dwayne 4. Justin 5. Will R

Leaderboard from

August 14 at Th Open

Senior Open

Steven Rommerskirchen 68 Mike Lawton 72 Colin Stolze 76 Alek Stojanavic 80 Colin Hall 81

David Rudd 74 (p) Steven McFadden 74 Mike Quesenberry 75 Schooner Fitzgerald 77 Michale Mervis 78

14

Op

Will Ro Nickolau Dwayne John Justin

ries Standings The Metropolitan

EN NET

Daivs 390 Fuehne 360 e Leslie 320 Zhanag 310 Roestel 280

August 2020

SENIOR NET

SUPER SENIOR NET

1. John Epps 390 2. Wayne Moore 315 3. John Schrank 310 T3. Vince Schneider 310 5. W. Abanathe 290 170

1. D. Humphrey 350 2. K. Edmonston 325 3. S. Weinstock 285 4. M. McDermott 240 5. Doug Williams 226.25

Amateur Series #4

The Falls - Par 71

pen Net

oestel 68 us Geiger 72 e Leslie 74 Davis 75 Zhang 75

Senior Net

Super Senior Net

William Abanathe 70 Vince Schneider 70 Dave Verhulst 71 Wayne Moore 77 John Epps 78

Michael McDermott 70 (p) Leo Hefner 70 Kevin Ortyl 71 King Edmonston 72 Stephen Weinstock 72 Don Humphrey 72

15

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Supe’s On

Handboo

Carter DeMay Country Club of St. Albans

What a crazy year 2020 has been, and we aren’t even done with it yet.

In March, all of our lives have been affected by the still ongoing pandemic.

Stay at home orders and social distancing caused us to make changes to our daily lifestyles and Golf Course Superintendentshave faced those same challenges.

As turfgrass professionals, we are very accustomed to overcoming many different challenges, but handling the maintenance of a golf course and staff under a pandemic wasn’t necessarily in the handbook. Many courses and clubs going on spending holds and budget freezes made hiring staff in the early spring difficult to non-existent. All in a world where we weren’t sure when the virus was going to directly impact our lives personally or professionally.

Having to shut down operations for two weeks because of a positive case could not have sounded more disheartening. Golf course superintendents have been handling this dance all year-wanting to continue to keep the number one asset of their facilities in perfect shape, while keeping the staff they care about safe from illness.

The Golf Course Superintendent Association of America has stayed at the forefront of golf and golf course maintenance best interests. Working very closely with its local chapters, Mississippi Valley GCSA, Southern Illinois GCSA and the PGA of America golf has continued to be an excellent option for safe, outdoor activity. Golf has been sustaining in a time where we have seen many businesses and industries struggling or disappearing all together.

My own experiences have seen an increase in rounds of 175% compared to 2019 and, with some of the adjustment’s facilities are making to keep patrons safe, two to four times the cart traffic due to single cart riding. Superintendents are continuing to outperform expectations despite this beautiful but tough golfing environment.

Golf Course Superintendents and their staff take a lot of pride in their work and we all look forward to continuing to use golf as a safe activity to enjoy during this pandemic.

Take the time to thank those staff members for putting in many hours this year and doing their part to keep their facilities open and in terrific shape.

16

The No. 9 green at Country of Club of St. Alban zan and Dana Fry.

The Metropolitan

August 2020

ok didn’t cover Covid-19

ns Tavern Creek awaits a visitor. Tavern Creek opened in 1997, designed by the distinguised architectural team of Dr. Michael Hurd-

17

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Miracle at Medinah

30 years later, Ir

18

The Metropolitan

August 2020

rwin’s feat stands alone

By Dan O’Neill (This article appears courtesy of Colorado AvidGolfer) In his desk in St. Louis, his office in Paradise Valley, Ariz., his closets, his drawers … Hale Irwin has searched everywhere, looking for a thin legal pad of yellow paper, paper that changed his life 30 years ago, and changed golf history.

“I kept it, I hid it and I cannot find it,” Irwin said.

“I’ve looked all over and I cannot find it, but if I do, I’d put it in the Hall of Fame, because I really do think it’s something that inspired me. It got me thinking what was possible again.”

In late 1989, Irwin sat down with a pen and that pad of paper. After winning Memorial in 1985, Irwin started a golf course design business, which had become more and more engrossing. At the same time, his golf had become less and less rewarding.

Five years had passed since that last PGA Tour win. Ten years had passed since his second U.S. Open victory at the Inverness in 1979. Over the previous five seasons, a man with 17 wins, 41 top3s and 141 top-10s had collected just two top-3s and nine top-10s. A man declining in the late innings of a robust career, sat down with that paper and pen, and reflected.

“I was still hitting the golf shots, that wasn’t a problem,” Irwin recalled. “It was remembering how to play, how to go out and put one good shot after another together. So after five years of frus-

tration, I kind of thought, ‘You know, I’m enjoying the design work and all of that … this is going to have to be a different year, or I’m hanging it up, because this is no fun.

“I wrote down all that stuff, all the things I could remember about the tournaments I won. And what I couldn’t remember about a particular tournament, I would set it aside and come back to it. Anyway, it got me thinking about playing again, how to go out and become the player that I hopefully was before.

“And I could feel once the season got started, there was a little more bounce to my step… I felt closer to what I was trying to accomplish as a player.

So as the season went on, I could feel it coming together.”

Re-invention was nothing new for Irwin. In 1963, the standout athlete from Boulder High School came to the University of Colorado set on playing quarterback and golf. But as a sophomore in 1964, his football aspirations stalled when coach Eddie Crowder turned to Bernie McCall behind center.

Irwin had a choice - change positions, or punt football to focus on golf. He chose the former.

And over the next two school years, when he wasn’t setting the school’s single-season record for stroke average (which stands), when he wasn’t John still “Catfish” Kueper winning an NCAA golf championship, he became follows his shot at Franklin -------------------------------- continued on page 24

County Country Club. A fews day later, Kueper won the Super Senior Division of the City Championship.

Chase Holland Photo

19

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Ir win’s M

---------------------------------continued from page 23 a two time All Big Eight Conference defensive back.

Thus, what Irwin set in motion with a pad of paper can be considered improbable, not impossible. What he achieved shortly after his 45th birthday in 1990 was unprecedented, not unthinkable. With 72 holes of regulation and 19 holes of overtime, his third U.S. Open victory was not for the ages, it was for the ageless.

“Was the win at Medinah a shocker?” Irwin asked rhetorically, “No. Was it a surprise? Well, yeah, because you never think you’re going to win. You hope to win, but …

“In my mind, the tables were set to do something around that time period because I could feel it coming. And it just happened to be that week, when it all came together.”

Irwin already stood among golf ’s tall timber. In those aforementioned wins were two U.S. Opens, a “Massacre at Winged Foot” in 1974 - where his winning score was 7-over par - and another at Inverness in 1979. He threatened a third at Winged Foot in 1984, taking a one-shot lead into the final round. But his father was

20

dying from prostate cancer, a narrative that became overbearing and collapsed under a final round 79.

“Here I was 10 years removed from the ’74 win, leading going into the last round and thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to win another one,’ selfishly for me and even more so for my dad. I just built that thing up to something that I couldn’t sustain.”

Six years later at Medinah, Irwin was four strokes and 17 players behind after the third round. Even Edmund Hillary would find that a tough climb.

That evening in Chicago, Irwin went to dinner with his wife Sally and daughter Becky. Sunday would be Father’s Day, and 18-year old Becky presented her dad with a tie. The gift proved prophetic. “I never throw out a tie, so I still have it somewhere,” Irwin said. “I can’t remember, couldn’t tell you which one it is. But I’m sure Becky could go to my closet right now and pick it out.”

The next day, switching to a heavier putter, Irwin found something midway through the final round. He birdied four in a row, five of the last eight and covered nine holes in 31 swings. As he stood over an imposing 45-foot putt for a birdie at 18, he was 7-under, believing 8-under would have a chance. The long roll dropped in - perfectly paced, perfectly placed.

The gallery exploded. Normally stolid, Irwin channeled his football past, took it to the house and celebrated in the end zone. He circled the ropes, high-fived spectators, pumped his fists and blew a two-handed kiss. “After all these years, you would be shocked by how many people have come up and said, ‘Hey, I high-fived you in 1990,’” Irwin said, laughing.

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Miracle at Medinah

d

e

“I mean if you go back and look at how many I actually high-fived it was … oh, let’s say, seven or eight people.”

An hour behind in the last pairing, 34-year old Mike Donald validated all the excitement and the Father’s Day tie. Leading by one, Donald bogeyed No. 16 to drop into a knot with Irwin. Moments later, on the 18th green, his 40-foot putt to win outright expired agonizingly short of the hole. The championship went to a playoff.

In today’s world, things would have been decided promptly, with the two-hole playoff adopted in 2018.

But in 1990, it was the full Monty, or the full Monday, 18 holes long. When it arrived, neither of the nervous combatants was especially sharp. With three holes remaining, it appeared Donald was in command, 1-over par and two shots better.

Irwin birdied 16 with a sensational 2-iron and the difference was one. At 18, Donald still led by one when he Donald hit driver off the tee, hooking it into the trees. When his 18-foot putt narrowly failed to save par, the playoff went to sudden death - the first in U.S. Open history.

The players returned to No. 1, a hole Donald had birdied three consecutive times. But this time, his wedge settled 25 feet short of the flag, leaving a door open.

Irwin’s 103-yard approach landed 10 feet from home.

Donald’s long putt went wide right, Irwin’s disappeared in the hole.

Fifteen days after his 45th birthday, one day after his high-five trot, he was again the U.S. Open champion.

There would be more highlights to come, and quickly.

Six days later in Harrison, N.Y, an exhausted Irwin edged Paul Azinger to win the Buick Classic, becoming the first since Billy Casper to follow a U.S. Open win with a victory in the next tournament. Irwin

would win one more PGA Tour event at age 48 and then dominate the Senior Tour (now PGA Tour Champions), becoming the career leader with 45 wins.

Now 75, Irwin continues his design business and is involved in a new multi-media digital project, entitled Keeler1930. His playing career has dwindled to an occasional Champions appearance. That said, he enjoys reminiscing about his “Miracle at Medinah,” or any of his successes.

The game - like seemingly everything else in our culture - has been altered even more dramatically this year. The championship Irwin captured three times has been moved from its traditional June home to a tentative Sept. 17-20 slot. It has eliminated qualifying and filled its field with exemptions.

And as the pandemic persists and precautions prevail, you can bet there won’t be any emotional high fives with galleries at Winged Foot this time. There might not be any galleries at all.

“I find it very disheartening,” said Irwin, whose son, Steve, a long time Colorado amateur, qualified into the 2011 U.S. Open. “I often call it our national Open and to call it “Open” now is a misnomer. How do you have a U.S. Open in New York, one of the hot spots in our game, and have no people out there?

“It’s going to be really, really odd. The USGA, I’m sure, and all of the golfers around the world are just agonizing over this … You get so much energy from the galleries and the crowds and the cheering. It just seems so misplaced.”

Meanwhile, speaking of misplaced, somewhere there exists a pad of yellow paper, paper that changed Hale Irwin’s life 30 years ago, and gave the U.S. Open one of its defining stories.

“I know it’s around somewhere,” Irwin said. “I’d love to see it again. One of these days, I will.”

21

The Metropolitan

August 2020

22

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Allen fights back to capture Senior Buddy Allen runs a tree-trimming business. He’s used to climbing, not falling.

So when Allen saw his three-shot cushion yanked out fron under him on the 2nd hole of St. Clair Countrty Club during the final round of the 28th MAGA Senior Amateur Championship, you couldn’t help but wonder how he’d react.

Allen got up, dusted himself off, shot a 69 and won his second Senior Amateur.

As a multiple winner of the championship, Allen joined an elite group that includes Jim Holtgrieve, Jack Powers, Don Dupske, Ed Schultz and Scott Edwards.

Meanwhile, his rebound sabotaged the valiant, come-from-behind effort of Tom Portner.

The flavor of the championship was turned upside down when Allen bogeyed No. 1 and Portner then aced St. Clair’s par 3 No 2.

And Just like that, with 16 holes to play, it was anybody’s ballgame Allen and Portner were knotted at 4-under par for the weekend.

23

Moments later, Portner took a solo lead when Allen followed with another bogey at No. 3.

But Allen recomposed himself, and rebounded, covering the next 15 holes with five birdies and finding a bogey-free path to a threestroke victory over Portner. Allen finished the 36-hole championship at 8-under. Portner, whose roller coatser final round included the ace, five birdies and four bogeys, finished at 5-under. Brian Hall was next at 1-under - the only other player to finish below par.

Meanwhile, the aforemented Dupske, four times a Senior Amateur champion (1996, 98, 99, 2000) continued to cheat time. Dupske, 84, shot 81-73-154 to top the 75-over dvision. *** The resilient win by Allen allowed him to climb into the lead in the 2020 Senior Player of the Year standings. Joe Malench, who finished fifth at St. Clair, sits 315 points behind Allen’s pace (see page 5).

The Metropolitan

August 2020

24

The Metropolitan

August 2020

28th Senior Amateur Aug. 24-25/St. Clair Country Club/Par 72 Final Results Buddy Allen 67=69-136 Tom Portner 70-69-139 Brian Hall 71-72-143 David Bremer 72-72-144 Joseph Malench 74-72-146 Tom Barry 73-74-147 David Pfeil 76-72-148 Mike Castellari 77-72-149 Scott Horton 74-75-149 David Rudd 77-73-150 David Glass 76-74-150 David Johnson 73-77-150 Scott Edwards 73-77-150 Brian Kennedy 76-75-151 Lou Brock Jr. 74-77-151 Jim Greenstein 72-79-151 Brian Lovett 78-74-152 Didier Villard 81-72-153 Mike Quesenberry 79-75-154 Steven McFadden 74-80-154 John Todd 79-76-155 David Schilp 77-78-155 David Bone 76-79-155 David Speicher 78-81-159 Mike O’Neill 82-78-160 Randy Rachell 73-89-162 John Kueper 81-82-163

25

The Metropolitan

August 2020

Thanks for a summer filled with memories Jacob Skudlarczyk

events; made each event one I was proud to have been apart of.

Working with Curt Rohe taught me so much about the industry and what it takes to be successful.

The little intricacies are what makes an event stand out to players and make then come back.

The people I met along the way this summer really made it so much more enjoyable. From all of our amazing rules committee volunteers to the people hosting us at their golf course and all of the players, I made some great connections and more importantly, friends.

After graduation this spring I hope to find a job in the golf industry and build on the amazing summer I had being a PJ Boatwright Intern.

Working this summer for the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association as a PJ Boatwright Intern was an incredible experience.

I have always loved playing golf and am glad to have been introduced to the game when I was young. This summer opened my eyes to a whole other side of golf that I hadn’t seen. Running tournaments is something I used to take for granted being a player, but seeing the complexity and attention to detail the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association requires for their

The Cure!

Re-live your favorite moments in St. Louis sports history with Dan O’Neill and his captiving new books. Available at area book stores and book purchasing websites. You won’t have to worry about social distancing, you can “Go crazy!” and lift Lord Stanley’s Cup in the comfort of your own home.

26